Until too Late
by In The Arms Of A Stranger
Summary: Their relationship had expanded past simple friendship long ago. Lovers might have summed it up, but they had never truly ‘talked’ about it. It was just, ‘A thing’. Yuri. TentenXHinata
1. Those Beautiful Eyes

Well, hello again everyone. This was supposed to be another chapter for my 'The Charm of a Dog' story, but it ended up differently... Sorry... I will be continuing (or at least trying to) my Akamaru story. If I can get some damn inspiration, that is. No flammies and please review.

(This fic takes place several years after the original Naruto, but since I'm too lazy to watch all the Naruto episodes on the comp I don't really know the ending for it yet -.-…)

"……" Talking

**Bold **Thinking

-- Scene Change

((Chapter One))

"Okay, so that'll be three sets of kunai, another dozen smoke bombs, and a new Anbu mask, right?" The small brunette nodded her head unconsciously as she tallied up the total, momentarily ignoring the masked woman standing patiently on the opposite side of the counter. Slivers of white flickered from the slanted eyes of the expressionless bird mask, a rather sizeable gash torn across the bridge of its nose, pale skin peeking out from between the wound.

The once small weapon shop had grown increasingly since the days of Orochimaru's reign of terror, and having become one of the main sources of Nin wears, it wasn't that rare to see one of the black op Anbu's grocery shopping for their weekly supply of life threatening doodads.

"That should be about it for the next few days. Though I might need a restock when I get back from the retrieval mission..." While the voice was slightly flat and impassive, it was still clearly recognizable to the young weapons mistress, the faintest of smiles twitching at the corner of her full lips.

Tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth, Tenten turned to wrap the pile of perfectly crafted steel into a small and rather strange looking bag, the shops name plastered upon both the front and the back, a panda bear-ish looking creature smiling toothily from beneath the name.

"Don't do anything stupid now, Hina. We don't want you back in the hospital after only just getting out." A wide grin split across her lips as the tall Anbu scratched at the back of her head bashfully, a gesture she had received several times by a rather annoying little blond Hokage in training. This must have been the third time the black op team had been sent to retrieve Konoha's last living Uchiha, and while the villages and council know saw him for what he truly was, he was still a missing-nin who needed to be brought to justice, Sharingan or not.

"Don't worry Tenny, I'm sure we'll bring the bastard back this time. Kicking and screaming if we have to." Since the fall of the Akatsuki and the widely celebrated death of Orochimaru, the remaining members of the Rookie Nine had grown surprisingly fast in ranks, most standing at Jonin or higher, alongside with the old team Gai.

"So, after I get back, do you think we can spend some time together, just for old time's sake?" Even within that toneless voice of hers, Tenten could still subtly pick up the sliver of hope quivering upon the tip of her tongue, sandal scuffing against the hard wooden floor, hands clenched tightly upon the newly accepted grocery bag. Their relationship had expanded past simple friendship long ago. Lovers might have summed it up, but they had never truly 'talked' about it. It was just, 'A thing'.

"Sure, it's has been far too long since we last spent some time together." Leaning over the counter top, she rested her elbows against the worn wooden surface, chin propped up within calloused palms. A glint of playfulness sparkled within her eyes, tongue peeking forward to travel the length of her top lip. It had become a game of sorts over the years to make the young Hyuga fidget with the promise of what she so desired, tempting her to steal it without warning, to claim her sought after prize.

The carved mask tilted to the side, a gently glow seeming to escape from the narrow eyes. Mid-afternoon had only just arrived and other than the lone Hyuga, business had been relatively dead.

Delicately gloves fingers cupped the chin of the mask, pushing it partially upwards to reveal pale untouched skin and full scarlet stained lips, the usual nervous twitch settled into the corners of her mouth. Hinata had blossomed marvelously since her days of the academy, the slight strain of her curves visible from under the faded stony grey vest.

Chewing uncertainly upon her bottom lip, the young Anbu inched her way towards Tenten, hands placed flat upon the counter top, fingers spread wide. Their lips touched gingerly against one another, a flush creeping its way upon the Hyuga's partially visible face as a daring tongue prodded at the part of her lips, begging for entrance. No sooner did she grant access to the weapons mistress, the wiggling appendage slipped forward, stroking against heated flesh curiously.

Practically draped herself over the counter, Hinata encircled her arms around Tenten's neck, pulling her deeper into the kiss, tongue shyly sneaking forward to dance with the other girls, eyes slipping closed from beneath the drawn up mask.

Fingers stained from the ashes of freshly cut steel caressed across wide hips, nails digging into the thin black material that stretched over the pale skin, a thumb hooking into the waistband of the skin tight shorts, pulling them downwards an inch.

Lungs burning for air, the two parted ways; a whimpered moan escaping Tenten's bruised lips. She buried her head into the other girl's neck, kissing the skin tenderly, her hand slipping further upwards, finger tips sliding under the black material, stroking at the thin scrap of silk hidden underneath.

"Ta-Tenten... I have to go soo-" A loud chime broke through Hinata's half-hearted plea, a muffled giggle escaping the brunette as she reached up to pushed the Anbu mask back into place, a blush forming across pale skin, practically visible from underneath the carved wood.

Standing rather casually within the doorway was none other than Konoha's own copycat Nin; Kakashi Hatake, a familiar little orange book held protectively within his grasp. His attention drifted from between the dog-eared page and the two mortified females, not seeming all that surprise by what he had stumbled upon.

"While I hate to interrupt you two at such a tender moment, I was sent to gather the members of the retrieval mission. Lady Tsunade is waiting..." And with that, the silver () haired man vanished in a cloud of smoke, feeling it safer to retreat before the need to kill struck the two.

"W-well... I'll see you when I get back, okay Tenten?" Untangling herself from the brunettes grasp, the tall Anbu once again snatched up her newly bought supplies and bolted for the door, straightening her clothes along the way. While Hinata might have gotten over a great deal of her low self-esteem issues, she was still fearful of the Hyuga Clan finding out about her favorite past times.

Most of which involved spending late nights along with the weapons mistress, enjoying the better qualities of friendship. As well as the hours of entertainment one could receive from whip cream and paint-able body chocolate.

Leaning her hip against the counter, Tenten watch in annoyance as the object of her affection vanished from out the door, once again casting the weapon shop into an eerie silence.

Permanently stained fingers brushed against bruised lips, the taste of hot flesh still clinging faintly to her tongue. Hopefully the mission wouldn't last too long... it had been far too long since their last all-nighter together...

A throaty moan escaped Tenten's lips as her mind drifted to their past nights together, a dim flush forming across her tanned cheeks. Never in her wildest dreams has she expected shy; little innocent Hinata to be such a wonderful lover, playing her like a well tuned instrument in need of a good breaking-in.

Tenten cupped her aching heat though the tight spandex shorts, fingers fumbling shakily over the damp fabric, eyes upon the cloth covered windows, watching as the dark outlines of passing villagers trailed across the black material, causing her heart to race with each stroke of her fingers. Now was most defiantly not the time for such actions, especially with Ninja's popping up out of thin air without warning... and also wasn't Jiraiya bac-

A familiar little perverted giggle erupted from somewhere within the seemingly empty weapons shop, damp fingers halting mid-stroke, eyes widening.

Tenten felt her cheeks burn with a mixture of embarrassment and anger, the hand that once caressed her covered sex, rising to grasp one of the many flawlessly sharpened kunai from the pouch tied upon her side, knuckles whitening as her grip tightened.

"Jiraiya!" Needless to say, many villagers paused in their daily routines to glance at the shadowy little weapons shop in wonder; as a figure smashing violently up against a sheet covered window with a sickening crack.

* * *

"Fucking Anbu! He deserved everything he got!" The door slammed roughly behind her, hinges creaking under the force, the apartment number nailed to the outer side; sliding to hang upside down, forming a backwards three.

After a handful of complaints, a small group of Anbu had arrived to silence the racket, only to find a bloody and practically unconscious Jiraiya trying to escape from the weapon mistress's wrath, a collection of undetonated exploding notes pinned upon his shredded clothing. With Senbon needles no less.

Collapsing unceremoniously onto the over-stuffed couch, Tenten lazily went about the task of removing the hidden weapons scattered about her body, dropping them uncaringly upon the abused coffee table, a large pile teetering atop the table by the time she was fully disarmed.

A dented smoke canister rolled from off the table's edge, landing with a soft 'thump' upon the worn beige carpeting below, tumbling beneath the couch.

Doomed to the same fate as many other misplaces weapons.

Tenten draped an arm over top her eyes, the slow beat of her heart thumping within her eardrums. Her legs hung limply over the arm rest, the carpet licking gently at her toes, causing them to curl inwards, escaping the light caress. A muffled giggle escaped her mouth, body shifting towards the couch, her back to the apartment door.

The faint squeal of the water heater below crept up through the floorboards, breaking the comforting silence the small apartment had succumbed to.

Her hands flattened upon her lower stomach, fingers sliding beneath the loose fitting t-shirt, pressing gently down against the taunt flesh. Her fingers caressed over aged scars, where the skin had been ripped and torn, leaving deep gashes after healing, permanently marring her once beautiful skin.

How ugly they made her feel...

As if in pain, she clutched at her abdomen protectively, eyelids dipping in a dazed expression. Her lips drew into a thin line, teeth sinking into the soft spongy texture of her tongue, the faint taste of copper making her grimace, tongue throbbing from the self-inflicted pain. Her nails bit into the scarred flesh, back arching as she curled into herself, tears welling within her eyes.

Now was not the time for crying, she was a ninja after all, and ninjas did not cry.

With the wrist of her hand, she wiped the welling tears from her eyes furiously, fingers clenching into a tight, though sloppy, fist. Maybe it was time for her to take a break, just for a few days. It wasn't as if business was all that stead at the moment. Especially with the current streak of mission-less weeks.

All was right with the world, it seemed.

Still wiping at her once tear filled eyes, Tenten pushed herself from off the couch, straightening her mandatory olive green vest, the zipper slipping down a few inches, a sliver of her white undershirt visible from the opening. Stumbling away from the couch, she made her way into the kitchen, pausing to kick her sandals off, leaving them over-turned beside the front entrance.

Noting the small pile of dirty dishes within the skin, Tenten glanced between the work that she knew needed to be done, and the fridge, nibbling at her bottom lip in concentration.

Food, dishes, food, dishes... Food.

Turning away from the food-incrusted plates, Tenten all but skipped towards the off-white colored refrigerator, the door swinging open widely to bouncy against the opposite wall, deepening the faint imprint already pressed into its surface. She rummaged through the fridge's meager contents, pushing a leftover ramen bowl to the side, uninterested.

Why did she have so many condiments?...

Brushing past what she believed to be the fourth bottle of half-empty Soya sauce so far, Tenten shifted to squat in front of the open fridge, pulling out the meat and vegetable drawers in turn, a grunt escaping her lips. Empty as well!!

A sliver of white peeked out from behind a cluster of unopened jam jar, and after a moment of relocating the jars to another shelf, the small porcelain plate came into view, a sheet of plastic wrap covering the three forgotten dango sticks.

"Thank you Kami" Pressing her palms against one another, Tenten grinned rather excitedly to herself; eying the wonderful gift the gods had sent to her.

Closing the fridge door with her hip, Tenten once again made her way into the small living room, the plate of chilled dango held lovingly within her hands, its plastic covering left within a scrunched ball upon the shelf it once rested upon, in the fridge.

A low hiss escaped the couch as she threw herself upon it, a spool of tightly wrapped metal wire rolling from the looking pile of weapons, stopping to teeter upon the table's edge. "Itadakimasu!

* * *

"Tenten!? Tenten are you there?! Common, open up!!" Groaning pitifully, Tenten rolled over upon her side, pulling a beaten pillow over top her head as she tried to drown out the noise. But unfortunately, the infernal knocking did not come to an end. And with each second that passed, the need to sleep slowly grew farther away as consciousness began to settle in, reminding her it was only right to answer the door.

Desperately she clutched the pillow to her head, fingers twitching in irritation. Ignore it, ignore it, ignore it...

"Common Tenten, this is important!!" The pillow flew forward to smack against the wall with a dull thud, blood shot eyes glancing about in anger, a perfectly arched eyebrow twitching in a display of undisguised annoyance.

Her bare feet slid smoothly from beneath the comforter, toes curling as the icy hardwood floor came into contact with them, hands brushing through her tangled shoulder length hair, the elastics that had once kept it up in its unusual style lay entwined upon the nightstand, atop an empty plate. Tripping over her abandoned vest, Tenten silently cursed the annoyance still banging hard upon her front door, movements sluggish and forced as she stumbled from out her bedroom, wondering when it was that she had put herself to bed.

The door opened with a small squeal, reminding her of its need for fixing, another string of colorfully chosen words bouncing about in her mind.

A mop of pale cotton candy hair framed the young medical Nin's face, a worried expression pasted across her pale skin; eyes drooped from lack of sleep, lips parted to allow a gasped breath to escape her. It wasn't until then that Tenten noticed the dried crimson blood that splattered across the bridge of her nose, clothes stained with the substance. Enough to make even the weapons mistress's stomach churn.

"Sakura?" The brunette rubbed a fisted hand against her eyes, trying to dispel the image before her. But nothing changed. The medical nin standing within her doorway did not waver in the least, the scent of disinfectants and copper burning as it invaded her sense of smell, a shiver creeping its way up her spine in an ant like manner.

"T-tenten! You're being summoned to the hospital by Lady Tsunade!" The short pinket spoke hurriedly, words gasped out as she wobbled back and forth in the hallway, a hand pressed tenderly against her brow, eyes closed. Her skin grew paler by the minute, causing Tenten to stare wide eyed, hands outstretched to grasp the little medic securely around the waist, watching in amazement as the usually strong woman crumpled against her, hands fisted round the thin material of her white undershirt.

"Sakura?! Are you okay…?" Tenten craned her neck to stare down at the younger girl, hands curling around her waist, callused fingers stroking along the arch of her back, searching for any type of injury her hands could come across, the dried blood flaked beneath her finger tips.

"Ya… I'll be alright after a few hours of rest…. B-but you have to get to the hospital. Now." Her weak voice stressed the word 'now', head titling to stare up at Tenten through thick lashes, heavy locks of hair falling to shadow her eyes. "I'll follow you in a few minutes… as soon as I catch my breath…" Her eyelids slowly began to sink lower, her gaze unfocused and drifting.

"Screw that, I'll carry you there…" The door squealed once again as it slid closed, Sakura's half hearted plea falling on deaf ears as Tenten hefted her from off the ground, holding her bridal style against her chest, "And you, explain to me why you're almost passed out on my door way, and why I'm going to the hospital on my day off." Thin arms slid to wrap loosely around her neck, the trickle of the woman's breath dancing across the crook of her throat, forehead pressed against the flat of her breastbone.

"Well, that's what happens when you stay awake for two days straight, empty your chakra reserves, and donate a hell of a lot of blood…" Even within that fading tone of hers, there was still an ounce of playfulness remaining, the curve of her pale lips forming into a small smile against Tenten's flush skin.

Giving the hall window a quick boot with her bare foot, Tenten jumped from out the now open window, feet sliding upon the roof tiles until she sprung from her apartment building to the neighboring one, cursing her lack of shoes. Splinters… how fun. Ignoring the throbbing pinpricks pulsing from the arch and ball of her feet, Tenten sprinted from rooftop to rooftop in a colorful blur, careful not to jostle her cargo.

"The Black op. team returned early this morning…" Tenten stiffened at the mention of her lover's team, movements pausing for a fraction of a second before restarting, the large white hospital building just peeking up from behind the tall buildings, "They were not scheduled to return for three more days…. But outside the boarders of Fire, they came across the Uchiha, traveling towards Sand…" Sakura's arms tightened around her neck, a warm trickle of wetness soaking into Tenten's thin tank top. "They were unable to bring him back peacefully… Shino is currently labeled MIA, and Ino is relatively unharmed, other than a few broken bones…."

Tenten wet her dry lips, throat clenching painfully. "Hinata's in critical condition…"

Tears welled within Tenten's eyes, burning against her cheeks as they slid down to splash against the Medic's cropped pink hair, "There's still a low chance of her surviving, even after so many hours of surgery and blood transfusions... Tsunade has summoned all of those who would be considered precious to Hinata..."

Tenten bent her knees to absorb the force of gravity as she landed roughly in front of the hospital, a small startled gasp escaping the woman within her arms. The guard Nin's did not even spare a second glance as she sprinted into the large hospital, bare feet slapping against the newly washed laminate flooring.

"Which way?!" She gave the pinket a small shake, awakening her from the daze she had succumbed to, wide eyes blinking slowly, head turning to glance about the large barren hallway. The scent of death lingered like a strong perfume, the bitter taste of disinfectants and lemon floor polish pricking at the tip of the tongue.

Stiffly, Sakura gestured towards the opposite end of the hall with a trembling finger, "Oh-over there…" Delicately painted fingers slowly curled to form a fist, knuckles whitened from the strain. And as if watching a leaf fall from a branch, the pale arm drifted downwards, the young medic limp within her arms, eyes closed and breath escaping in a low hiss against the crook of Tenten's neck.

"Thanks…" Darting forward in a hurried trot, Tenten blindly raced off in the given direction, cradling the unconscious medic carefully against her chest, her heart beating widely as fear crept into the back of her mind. This wasn't supposed to happen. Hinata was to giving to die, she didn't deserve this type of ending.

The pull of a strong chakra presence guided her forward, teeth sinking into the thickness of her bottom lip, the heavy beat of her heart pounding within her ear drums. With enough force to shatter the best of defenses, Tenten threw her shoulder against the closed hospital room door, back arching to cover the woman resting against her from the blow. A screech escaped the door as its lock shattered, allowing the remaining force of the impact to snap the door open, the doorknob sinking into the wall and leaving a noticeable dent as it collided.

"God damn it Tenten!" Even without glancing towards the source of the voice, Tenten could tell it belonged to none other than the hokage herself, hands planted warily upon her shapely hips, lips drawn and eyes sunken-in from exhaustion.

A dead silence enveloped the hospital room, the air thickened with worry and sorrow. The blinds pulled tightly shut, blocking out the world beyond the four walls.

The meager collection of Hinata's closest family and friends stood scattered about the room randomly, each seeming to drift in and out of reality as the clock ticked away from its place hanging above the door, crooked from Tenten's Naruto-like entrance. Carefully she handed off the unconscious Sakura to her past Sensai, watching for an instant as the older woman cradled the pinket to her bosom tenderly, as if seeking comfort from the limp 'child', face buried within her mop of pink tinted locks.

A translucent curtain was pulled across a small section of the room, the steady 'bleep' of the heart monitor escaping from behind the spider webbed cloth. With throbbing feet, she lurched forward, a muffled sob escaping her lips as the bedridden figure came fuzzily into view through the draped cloth.

"Oh Hinata..." Fearfully she slipped between the folds of the curtain, her breath catching in her throat at the sight that greeted her.

Bruises coated Hinata's once fair skin like thick make-up, her hair knotted and blood stained, dulled from its once beautiful midnight black. A good portion of her upper body was wrapped tightly within cotton bandages, crimson seeping through in dark blotches, the threads of dark stitches peeking from under the wrappings. The Uchiha had done this?!...

"Hinata... Hinata.." A heart wrenching sob torn its way from out Tenten's lungs, tears flowing steadily down her stained face, soaking into the material of her makeshift nightshirt. It wasn't fair! Why would the gods let such a thing happen to Hinata of all people?! Hadn't she suffered enough already?!

Knees buckling, Tenten let herself slide soundlessly to the floor, hands reaching forward to cradle her lovers IV patched wrist with quivering fingers.

"Y-you have to get better Hina... ra-remember, were supposed to spend time together. For old... old times' sake.." A hushed whisper drifted about the silent hospital room, and the drone of the heart monitor continuing to sound beside the small occupied bed.

"Hinata... I need you... Don't leave me...I-...I love you."

End...?

* * *

Well... I feel like crying now..

After all this time I finally have a fanfic that actually involves real yuri! Yay's for me! -Blows party whistle-

I would really appreciate any reviews... cause I'm a review whore. If you have any ideas for future fic's, send them my way .

If I can get my damn Cybersix fic done...

Oh, and I might make a second chapter if I get enough reviews...


	2. Lovers Parting

Well… Hi. After a bit of time I decided to create a second chapter for "Until too Late" Sorry it might have taken a little longer than needed…. I'm still suffering from writer's stupidity. Which I will hopefully get over soon…

(This fic takes place several years after the original Naruto, but since I'm too lazy to watch all the Naruto episodes on the comp I don't really know the ending for it yet -.-…)

* * *

"……" Talking

_Italic_ Thinking

-- Scene Change

* * *

Chapter Two

Sweet Goodbyes

* * *

"Well…. It's time I guess…" A small guilty smile just graced Tenten's lips, eyes drifting to look across the gloomy little graveyard in discomfort. It had been far too long since her last visit, months in fact... but not even missions could keep her away on such an important date... The day that a member of the Rookie Nine was taken away forever... and a close friend at that.

A thick fog swept across the ground in milky wisps, snaking between the grave markers that dotted across the plot of land, caressing each name delicately chiseled within the smooth stones. Each gravestone was different in its own way, the owner's significance easily recognized by the size and shape of each marker. Some, only stood knee high with the dead's name scrawled upon its face. Others towered above the ground in monstrous slabs of rock, carved and sculpted to perfection.

Her hand clenched around the small bouquet of Morning Glory, the bright purple hued flowers seeming to stand out awkward within the dreary little cemetery, dewdrops still clinging upon its colorful petals. Perhaps somewhere among the graves... rested her parents... never knowing their daughter was still alive and well. Her feet moved upon their own as she trudged her way through the graveyard, mindful of each step she took, eyes trailing across each name in wonder. How many had died and left hearts shattered without a single goodbye? Left children parentless, Wives widows and lovers abandoned.

Swollen clouds painted across the sky, their grey bodies heavy with rain, threatening to pour on such an important day. But it did seem fitting for the heavens to cry for the loss of such a brave soul. She paused mid-trek, teeth sinking into the thickness of a full bottom lip, eyes focused blurrily upon the hokage monument that watched from above, each face cracked and worn from the years of abuse, despite the constant restoration…. Lady Tsunade's cheeks looked too big… A grin tugged at the corner of her lips, feet once again moving sluggishly forward, trudging across the gravel path laid out for visitors. Perhaps one day she would see the blond-fools face displayed up there….

Cradling the flowers against her chest, Tenten fingered the small umbrella bulging from beneath the breast of her vest, head turned skyward to watch the mass of grey and black swirl within the wind, flecks of gold escaping from between the ripe clouds, signaling that the sun was slowly setting. It would be another cold night to enjoy… Turning around the bend in the path, Tenten stiffened a whimper, eyes falling upon the lone gravestone sitting upon the hump of a small hill, resting in a leisurely manner against a large willow tree, its hanging branches swaying within the wind, swirling around the slab of stone like tendrils, beckoning wandering souls closer.

"Ah…Hey…. Sorry for not visiting, like I promised…" She scratched at her elbow with a free hand, head turning to look shamefully to the side, eyelids drooped in guilt. The wind whipped violently through the graveyard, tugging a single tightly wrapped bun from out its string, cinnamon sprinkled locks falling to tickle the arch of her neck.

A faint groan passed her lips as she shifted to sit upon her bent knees, fingers slowly unclenching to place the bundle of flowers upon the small grave, leaned against the recently scrubbed slab of stone. Ash stained fingertips slid soundlessly across the carved name, each letter etched perfectly into the stone facing, chiseled into a smooth grove.

The stretched clan insignia was curled around each corner, showing that the owner of the grave had at one time been of 'Noble Birth'.

"It's a rather nice view you have here… you can see all the way to the school yard… I can ever see my shop." Tenten leaned back against her elbows, lips twisted in a small smile, hands clenching around the overly water grass, the evening dew soaking into the seat of her pants.

"So… how have you been?..." While she did feel rather foolish talking to a motionless hunk of rock, it was still calming to know that perhaps, she was being heard. No matter the large gap between the land of the living, and that of the dead.

"I'm okay…. Everything is rather… good at the moment, I guess. Sakura has become a head medic in the hospital, right next to Tsunade and Shizune… Lee opened a gym with Gai, something about flames of youth and other nonsense… you know what I mean..." A small nervous laugh slipped through her lips as she thought back to her first little visit to the gym... her muscles screamed for weeks from that workout…

"Other than that… Akamaru has gotten huge… he's like a small horse, literally... you've really missed a lot…" Silence was her only answer, the gravestone staring blankly up at her. Perhaps it was weird to talk to a stone…

The sky came to life in a flash of gold and a burst of light, clouds rolling angrily amongst themselves, sizzling with raw energy. The shriek of lightening was deafening, the noise bouncing from off the hokage monument. The hair on her neck stood on end, shoulders stiffening as the heavens poured down upon the world, covering the land in a layer of wetness.

The pale stone facing darkened into a somber black as the rain pelted against its hardened body, streams of water cascading across the smooth, chiseled features that had been delicately crafted into the slab, welling within the grooved lettering like forming tears. Brushing a hand through her hair, Tenten pulled the lone bun from out of its strings, allowing the once confined strands to brush along her collarbone, hazel locks slick from the rain, bangs licking at the bridge of her nose in a 'bothersome' manner.

She sat limply upon the flooding grassy hill top, allowing the rain to pound against her slouched form, clothes soaked to the very core, clinging to her body in a noticeable manner. She stretched her legs out before her, shivering as the chilling grassy tips slid along the underside of her knees, Goosebumps forming upon Goosebumps.

She turned her vision skywards, allowing her eyes to slide soundly shut as the rain pelted against her sun-kissed skin, teeth sinking into her bottom lip to stiffen the small sob that welled within her throat, the rain hiding the freshly shed tears that trickled down her cheeks in fat, salty droplets.

Her fists clenched and unclenched, tearing up the grass beneath her, teeth grinding together. Was this truly how it all had to end? In a bloody, broken mess? No sweet goodbyes or last lovers kiss?

She tore a single hand upwards, uprooting a fistful of the delicate green flicks of grass in the process, her arm pressed firmly against her clenched eyes, trying to hide her momentary weakness from the world, shoulders quivering. The sound that escaped her parted lips was barely human, her pain and loss echoing forth in a low, heart wrenching sob, the pent-up sorrow escaping as the dame broke, Mask cracking as a look of complete and utter defeat marred her beautiful, pain twisted face.

"Hinata...Hinata.." The single word was all that seemed to reside upon her usually sharp tongue, body curling into itself as she sobbed her battle torn heart out, mute to the world around her.

"I love you... God did I love you... Hinata.." A flash of gold lit up the sky, the following crash of thunder drowning out her pitiful wails for only an instant, skin gently pinkened from the force of the rainfall, each icy droplet stinging her marred skin. Wasn't it only fair for life to once end happily ever after? Did Hinata not throw her freedom away to try and save the village she loved and the Clan she had no choice but to one day lead? It wasn't fair... It wasn't fair!!

As if sensing her anger, the skies came to life in yet another crack of lightening, the wing roaring loudly as it whipped past; the willow trees lengthy tendrils lashing harmlessly at her slumped, broken form. What was the point any longer? Finally figure out that the joy of her life was before her all along, only to be snatched up?! Taken from the world and beyond her reach...

Tenten's breath caught in her throat as thin arms wrapped around her shoulders, the back of her head cradled gently against something soft, the rain halting its attack upon her body, yet still pouring just as violently around her. Red, tear streaked eyes slowly blinked open, throat clenching at the large black umbrella that hung just over head, a lock of dark midnight black hair falling into her blurred vision. _Hinata? _She blinked the unshed tears from her eyes, the once black lock of hair turning to a gently strawberry pink, the scent of disinfectant and roses just tickling her nose.

"S-sakura?" Her voice betrayed her uncertainty, soaked form turning within the pinkettes arms, eyes widening at the sight that greeted her, "Guys?" The sea of familiar faces swarmed within her mind, jaw quivering.

The remaining members of the rookie Nine, as well as her own past team members stood before her, each dressed head to toe in mourning wear, dark shaded umbrellas split between each two members.

"What are you doing here?" A sad smile just inched its way upon the pink haired medic's lips, fingers caressing through Tenten's drowned locks, pulling small snags and tangles free.

"We're here to see Hinata of course.." Her voice was low and soothing, drawing a small whimpered sob from the weapon mistress's lips, her arms encircling around the other woman's thin waist, burying her tear stained face into her chest, her form once again racked with sobs. That's right... she wasn't the only one who has lost someone special that day. A sister, a teammate, a friend, a daughter... The memory of Hinata would never simply sink into the darkness...

The warmth of friends surrounded her, multiple sets of worried hands helping her shaking form from off the ground, face never leaving its current place to cry within. There were no words exchanged or pity given, just sorrow and the unforgettable tug of pain that lingered within their hearts.

"Common Ten... Lets get you out of the rain, before you catch a cold..." The mass of black clad Nin moved as one, shuffling quietly down the used gravel path, the small medic taking up the lead, a single arm snuggly wrapped around the soaked Tentens shoulders, allowing her to weep into the crook of her neck, tears burning against dry, pale skin.

_Perhaps in this life time it simply wasn't meant to be…_ Tenten sniffled gently, casting one last lingering glance over at the tiny little gravestone that marked her lover's burial site. _But don't you worry Hina... we will meet again one day... and it will be different. I swear. _

_I will always love you, Hina… Always_

The END

* * *

Well... I kept changing how it would go, and I do apologize to all those who well… didn't want her to die. I thought it would be a better mood setting… Sorry for those who loved her!! Dunna hurt me…

R&R please…


End file.
